Lullaby
by Quiet Leaf
Summary: The Hetalia Orphanage looks pretty nice on the outside. Regular meals, reasonable sleeping hours, nice beds . . . but on the inside, it's more like an animal pound, or a butchers shop. Not that the insiders know this. Orphanage AU, no slash/yaoi, multiple character deaths. Chapters average 1200 words, despite the short prologue.
1. Prologue

**Prologue:**

 _April 4th, 2015, 3:31 PM_

Two children sat in the back of a car, absently listening to their mother lecturing them about grades. Well, it was more about the taller one's grades. The smaller, quieter one was doing just fine in school.

Their father, who was sitting in the driver's seat, pressed the gas pedal as the light turned green.

Unfortunately, the man driving behind them was a little too enthusiastic

A shattering of glass.

"Mattie!"

"Alfred!"

'-'

 _April 5th, 2015, 12:49 AM_

Late at night, a man walked through the corridors, quietly humming. The half moon shining through the window was dim, enough to make the figure nothing more than a silhouette.

The man stopped at a particular door, listening to make sure that the child inside was sleeping before opening it.

He grimaced. It was a mess in here, the floor was positively covered in toys and snack wrappers. If only he had the time to teach this child to to be organized.

Well, it was more like the sleeping boy was the one without time.

Still humming, he pulled a syringe out of his pocket, then padded over to the boy and injected him with an insignificant amount of the sedative it contained. He couldn't have Lovino Vargas waking up before he was ready.

The boy mumbled something in his sleep before rolling over.

Putting the needle back in his pocket, he reached out with the other hand and picked the boy up. He was a little heavy.

Walking back the way he came, he stopped before reaching the place he had come from and unlocked the door beside him, descending the steps until he reached a room. Its only contents were a brown-tinted table, made from steel with several leather straps, and leaning against the wall in the corner, an axe.

Continuing to hum the little song on repeat, he secured Lovino to the table and gagged him with practiced ease before turning to fetch the glinting weapon. Only as he was reaching for it did the boy awaken.

As he tried to scream, the man smiled fondly while fingering his axe, returning to the table. "I see you're awake! Do you have anything to say before I kill you?"

His question was met with muffled curses that should not be heard coming out of a eleven-year-old's mouth.

"Language, language," the man said. "Well, I suppose you can't really say anything properly, can you? Goodbye, my little tomato." He continued to hum the song.

The muted screams emitting from the child were ended with a flash of steel and a spattering of blood.

The sound of a pen scratching against paper. "Date of death; April fifth 2015, 1:09 AM. Please take care of the mess."

An unnoticed figure in the corner of the dimly lit room nodded in assent.

Only then, without excess noise, could the song be heard.

"Twinkle twinkle little star . . ."

* * *

 **Mlep. How was that? Give me feedback please? I'm sure you all know who the killer is.**

 **Anyway, as is mentioned in the summary, the rest of the chapters average 1200 words. A couple of them reach 1600. As you might gather from that information, the whole story is pre-typed. There's the prologue, six chapters, and an epilogue. Originally there were seven chapters, but I had to meld a couple together because they would have been too short.**

 **Next chapter is the set-up, the action sort of begins on chapters two, and it escalates from there. :) Between updates there will be two days of waiting be, prepared for the agony. Or the relief. Whatever. XD**

 **-The Leaf on Italy's Head (is a reference!)**


	2. Chapter 1: I Woke Up

**Chapter One: I Woke Up**

 _Two Months Later, June 6th, 2015, 8:02 PM_

Matthew and Alfred stared up at the door of the Orphanage, clutching the handles of their luggage and also, in the case of Matthew, squeezing a stuffed polar bear toy, before exchanging a glance and nodding to each other. Alfred knocked, and the door was flung open seconds later by a young woman with long brown hair. When she noticed them, she smiled warmly.

"Would you happen to be Alfred and Matthew Jones?"

"Yes ma'am," they replied in unison.

He smile widened a bit. "There's no need to be so formal, just call be Elizabeta." She looked around them. "Did someone bring you?"

"Yes," Matthew confirmed quietly. "But they left for some reason."

Elizabeta frowned. "Well, I suppose we should deal with the paperwork. This'll be a pain, uh, for you. Follow me, please."

They were led to a rather plain office whose only occupant was a cheerful looking man with brown hair and green eyes. "The Joneses?" he asked, then continued without waiting for a reply. "I guess we'll be needing that paperwork." He let out a sigh but smiled anyway as he pulled some files out of a drawer. "You'll have to do most of it yourselves. Would either of you like a tomato? They're good for you! By the way, my name is Antonio Fernandez Carriedo, I run this place. You can just call me Antonio!" Matthew noticed that he talked with a Spanish accent. So he was foreign?

His thoughts were interrupted by his brother's voice. "Sure, thanks dude!" He snatched the red fruit out of the man's hand.

Matthew gave him a disapproving glare and accepted his with a more polite thanks.

After some extensive paperwork- mostly extensive due to all of Alfred's complaining (twelve-year-olds shouldn't have to deal with paperwork!)- they were led away to another room that contained several children around their age, including a rather serious looking blond, a blank faced Asian, and in contrast to both of them, a bubbly auburn-haired kid who was talking almost nonstop. A lot of this stream of words seemed to consist of pasta.

Then there were a couple slightly older boys, both blond also, who were arguing furiously over something that sounded stupid, and a couple of others who were talking, one quietly and the other in a loud voice. The quieter one had long, dark brown hair while the other looked like an albino. Was this an all boys home?

This thought was proven wrong when yet another blond boy walked in through a different door with a little girl that looked remarkably like him.

This loud scene fell silent barely two seconds after the twins set foot in the room, and the quiet was broken by Elizabeta. "Everyone, these are Matthew and Alfred. They just arrived, so please treat them kindly. Matthew, Alfred, your room is on the second floor, third door on the right." She then left, leaving Matthew with a nervous sensation bubbling in his chest. He clutched his polar bear.

The feeling soon evaporated when the cheerful boy quite literally bounced up to them.

"Hi, I'm Feliciano, I'm ten! How old are you? Do you like pasta? Or pizza?" He sounded more excited with every question.

Matthew watched as his brother engaged in enthusiastic conversation with Feliciano. Alfred didn't used to be quite like this. It was like he was expanding his personality to make up for their parents de- He shook his head. He didn't want to think about that, it was too unpleasant. He had just started on a new train of thought when it was interrupted.

"Come on, Mattie! Feli says he's going to introduce us to everyone!" How could his brother grin so cheerfully after the accident?

"Um, okay." the quiet boy followed his brother and bubbles to the pair he had been blabbering to earlier.

"This is Ludwig-" he hugged the serious one- "and this is Kiku!" He hugged the newly name Kiku as well, and the boy turned pale. "P-please, my personal space . . ." Feliciano jumped off of him. "Oh, sorry, Kiku! I forgot!"

The long-haired boy shook his head with an exasperated sigh. "Really, you are so forgetful." He turned to the two who were being introduced. "Pleased to meet you, my name is Yao Wang."

Matthew nodded. "I'm M-" He was cut off yet again.

"I'm Alfred, and this is my brother, Mattie!" He threw an arm over the quieter of the two, and Matthew almost lost his balance.

"Alfred, don't interrupt people like that it's rude," he reprimanded.

Alfred blinked. "Oh, you were saying something? I didn't notice."

One of the blonds who had been fighting earlier laughed. "Well, he is rather quiet, no?" His accent sounded French. Were these people from all over the world or something?

The albino chuckled, smirking, and said with an accent that was unmistakably German, "You're right. Maybe if he acted a bit more like his brother he'd be noticed more!" At this point he burst into raucous laughter, for which the other blond who had been fighting- this one had distinctly thick eyebrows- hit him over the back of the head.

"Don't laugh at people like that! You're not giving a very good impression." This one sounded British. He turned back to the new pair. "Sorry about him," he apologized to Matthew, who looked rather red. "He can be a bit obnoxious sometimes."

The albino, still suppressing chuckles was quick to retaliate. "Says the one who is always fighting with Francis."

It could just be Matthew, but he thought the Englishman to be rather hot-headed. "Ah, it's okay, I'm used to being teased . . ." Unfortunately, eyebrows- he hadn't even introduced himself!- was already too angry to notice anything he said.

Matthew looked down when he felt something tugging at his sleeve. It was the little girl. She looked about nine. "Um, excuse me," she said nervously. "I-I just wanted to say welcome. My name's Lili."

Matthew was intimidated when he saw the probably-older-brother of Lili glaring at him. "If she gets hurt, they won't find your body," he hissed. Matthew shivered. "Don't worry, I won't do . . ." But the boy was already dragging his sister away.

Yao sighed again. "Don't worry, Vash can get a bit overprotective at times but he is a good person. Siblings can get a like that sometimes." His eyes drifted over to Feliciano before darting back to him again. Either Matthew was imagining things, or Feli's face had fallen for just a second. "Anyway, the immature British boy over there is Arthur, and the person he's fighting is Gilbert, Ludwig's brother."

At the sound of his name, Ludwig looked up before returning his attention to the avid conversation between Alfred and Feliciano.

"I am Kiku's adoptive older brother. The one Arthur was fighting earlier is Francis. The only one of us older people who isn't here is Heracles. He's probably taking another nap, he's always sleeping. Unless he's fighting with Sadiq over who Kiku likes better." He opened his mouth to continue but was unable to do so as Feliciano interjected. "Matthew, Matthew! Ludwig says we can show you around, come on, let's go!"

Matthew glanced back at Yao, who nodded, before following the odd trio and his brother out through the door and into the corridor they had come in through.

The most exciting thing on their little tour was when they bumped into one of the caretakers, a very tall many whose small smile sent chills down Matthews spine. He was introduced as Ivan Braginski before they continued on. By the end of it, Matthew was getting a little tired of Feliciano's babbling, but fortunately it was cut off by Ludwig's surprisingly deep voice, which had a German accent, like Gilbert's.

"Curfew is at 9:00 and breakfast starts at 8:00 in the morning. Try not to miss it, though if you do I'm sure Feliciano would be more than happy to make you some pasta. I'll write a full schedule for you in the morning."

"Okay, 'night dude!"

"Good night."

* * *

 **Four favorites? Four follows? . . . I don't know how to react. Thank you, guys!**

 **Okay, so as you might have guessed, this chapter is just the set-up for the next chapter. So boring . . . but whatever. I hope you enjoyed, please leave a review! You probably won't, but it would still be nice. :)**

 **-The Leaf on Italy's Head**


	3. Chapter 2: Tired

**Chapter Two: Tired**

 _June 9th, 2015, 1:00 AM_

"Mon'Ami? What are you doing?"

"Don't worry, little Francis, it will all be over soon."

"Date of death; June ninth 2015, 1:02 AM."

'-'

 _June 9th, 2015 8:19 AM_

In the three days since Matthew and Alfred had come to the Orphanage, they found themselves to be settling in rather well. Although it was a struggle for Matthew to get Alfred out of bed in the morning, they were only late for breakfast on the first day. Today was no exception. They made it down to the cafeteria in record time, Alfred because he was hungry and Matthew because he didn't like being late. To their surprise, Antonio stood up, calling attention to himself. The kids who had been there longer seemed to know what this meant.

"Francis has been adopted. I know we'll all miss him, but I'm sure he's in a better place." He sat down again, and the general murmur of the people in the room returned, though some topics had changed.

Feliciano sniffed. "I miss him already."

Arthur, however, turned up his nose. "I definitely won't miss the frog. Not at all."

Matthew's eyes narrowed. _I don't remember someone coming to see Francis, and I don't remember anyone saying he was being adopted. Maybe I should ask someone- Gilbert's the oldest, right? Seventeen?_ With this thought in mind, he grabbed his brother's arm and started dragging him to another table. "Hey Gilbert?"

The teen looked up, then smirked. "Well, what can the awesome me do for you today?" Matthew caught Arthur rolling his eyes from the table they had been at seconds ago.

"I was just wondering, I haven't heard anything about someone planning to adopt Francis and I haven't seen anyone come to pick him up. Was someone trying to adopt him?"

Gilbert tipped his head thoughtfully. "Nah, they probably came around really early in the morning or something."

Matthew frowned. "Are you sure? Maybe there's something else going on."

"Pfft, no way! This place is too awesome."

Alfred snorted. "Yeah, you're worrying too much, Mattie. They probably just came early, like he said."

Still frowning, Matthew turned and headed back to his table while Alfred started up an upbeat conversation with Gilbert. Halfway back to his seat, he changed course and went to Yao, who was sitting alone. "Hey, uh, Yao?"

The Chinese boy looked up. Matthew had figured out he was the second oldest after Gil, being sixteen.. "What is it?" Yao had been kind enough to give him the details instead of the garbled up version of things that fell out of Feliciano's mouth.

"Gilbert confirmed that no one has been trying to get custody of Francis, and I haven't seen anyone come around to get him. He also said that someone probably came for him early in the morning, but I'm sure Antonio would have said beforehand if Francis was being taken away. I think something else might be going on."

Yao sighed. "There's no need to be so worried, aru. Why would anything be wrong?"

"Please, just listen to me!" Matthew pleaded. "Watch carefully until the next 'adoption', then you'll see! I'm not absolutely sure myself, but something is definitely wrong."

The older of the two sighed again. "Fine, but don't say I didn't warn you when it turns out you're just paranoid."

"You won't regret it." And with those words, Matthew hurried back to his table, leaving Yao pondering his suspicions.

'-'

 _June 14th, 2015, 8:10 AM_

The next five days passed in a nervous and worried blur for Matthew. There was day, night, and meals, but his worries didn't disappear once. Overall, it was quite stressing. But that eighth day in the Orphanage made a difference.

Antonio stood once again and announced the adoption of Heracles Karpusi.

Arthur, Yao, and a few others looked skeptical - who would want such a lazy child as the cat-loving child _Heracles?_

Matthew stared absently at Antonio for a moment before rushing over to where Yao sat, alone again. "See? I don't remember anyone coming to see him!" he whispered frantically. Yao was frowning.

"Aiyah . . . I suppose you are right. Maybe I should look into this."

At these words, Matthew looked surprised. "Only you? But what about me?"

Yao reached out and poked him from behind, which made him jump violently. "You are too scared, aru. You could give us away."

Matthew nodded in understanding. "I guess you're right."

"For now, we should just watch a little more. I will take notes. Now, what do you think is happening to the people who are adopted?"

"W-well," Matthew started. "Maybe they're being imprisoned or k-killed."

"Those are very trivial, aru," Yao sniffed. "Maybe they're being kidnapped and Antonio is using adoption as an excuse, or perhaps they're being made to work somewhere as slaves and the staff is under threat not to tell."

Matthew looked surprised. "I didn't think of that. But I think that the, um, culprit might, maybe, be Mr. Braginski?"

Yao shook his head. "He's too obvious. Now let's stop discussing this before other people hear."

Looking around, Matthew noticed that a few others were sending them curious looks, obviously wondering why they were having a conversation in such serious tones. "Yeah, you're right." Just as he was about to step away and back to where he had been before, Kiku approached them.

"I am very sorry for overhearing part of your conversation," he said with a bow. "Please forgive me."

Yao sighed. "It's alright, aru. Someone was going to find out eventually. We will explain." He glanced at Matthew. "Matthew thinks that something more than adoption is happening to the children who are being taken in, aru. As of now, I share his thoughts because there is no evidence that someone wanted to adopt Heracles. Please don't tell anyone about it."

Kiku nodded understandingly. "I thought it was a bit odd for them to be disappearing like that, but I believed it would be impolite to voice those thoughts because everyone was happy without them. I apologize." He bowed again while Matthew waved his hands frantically.

"No, it's okay! You don't have to apologize again, I'm sure most people would have done the same in your position!"

The Japanese boy straightened up. "Thank you, I appreciate your honesty."

Matthew looked embarrassed. "I-it's okay . . ."

Kiku nodded before saying a quick goodbye and walking back to his own table, leaving the other two to discuss whatever they were thinking about.

"What were you talking about with Mattie?" Alfred asked.

"Nothing, really. We just exchanged greetings."

"You mean small talk?"

"Hai."

 _Nine hours later, 5:03 PM_

Kiku, Ludwig, Alfred, and Feliciano walked down another corridor at random, unable to decide where to go. Meanwhile, Kiku was being ceaselessly pestered.

"Come on, Kiku? What were you talking about? What did they say? I'll give you pasta if you tell me! Please? What were you talking about?"

"Yeah, dude! You couldn't have just stopped and decided to walk over there while you were getting napkins or whatever, you were totally eavesdropping!"

"Please? Tell us!"

"-overheard something!"

"-give you pizza-"

"Urusai!" Kiku hissed. "Fine, I will tell you, but not here. Follow me." He led them to his room and locked the door. "Yao told me not to tell anyone this, but I do not think I can stand your pestering much longer."

"Yeah, well, you sort of got angry a bit," Alfred mumbled.

Kiku sighed. "Matthew thinks that the adopted children might be dead or kidnapped, or something else, and Yao agrees with him."

Alfred's mouth dropped open, Ludwig appeared to be surprised, and Feliciano . . . was terrified.

"Ah! Ludwig, what if they take me next? I'm going to die! And Lovino . . ." He trailed off and then jumped off of Ludwig, to whom he had been clinging. "That would mean Lovino is . . ." His eyes started to tear up.

"Whoa whoa, wait, who's this Lovino you're talking about?"

Kiku looked at Alfred. "So you haven't heard? Feliciano's older brother was adopted about two months ago.

Alfred's eyebrows rose. "So his brother might be dead?"

Kiku nodded in confirmation as they watched Ludwig awkwardly try to console the sobbing Italian.

 _I could have lost Mattie in that accident._

'-'

Just outside the door, Gilbert smirked.

* * *

 **And the plot moves . . . or twitches. Also, in case anyone dislikes the randomly inserted Japanese words that could show up, Kiku is only eleven, so his English is already exceptional. He will obviously slip up sometimes.**

 **Also, would anyone like to see a story with a summary something like the following?**

 _ **Switzerland will do anything to protect Liechtenstein. If someone kidnaps her and says he can only get her back by killing the other nations, he will do it.**_

 **Please leave a review!**

 **-The Leaf on Italy's Head**


	4. Chapter 3: This Morning

**Chapter Three: This Morning**

 _June 15th, 2015, 12:32 PM_

Lunch was always a louder affair than breakfast. Morning was when people had just gotten out of bed, while the midday meal took place when everyone was wide awake. There were some who hadn't gotten much sleep at all. One of these people was, as unusual as it is, Feliciano Vargas, but somehow he still managed to babble away all he wanted, this time to Arthur.

"-but I didn't get much sleep last night because I was scared because Matthew thinks something bad is happening because all of the people who were adopted-"

Matthew nearly spat out his drink. Instead he choked on it.

"Matthew, are you okay?" Feliciano asked, his face showing concern. "Do you need pasta?"

He shook his head, waving him away. "Where did you hear about that?"

Feliciano blinked. "Hear about what? Pasta?"

"No, I mean the, er, suspicious-"

"Hold on," Arthur interrupted. "What are you talking about?"

"Well, um . . ." Fortunately he didn't have to finish the sentence because Kiku was too polite.

"I apologize, they would not stop pestering me. Feliciano and Alfred, that is."

"You didn't answer my question!"

They turned back to Arthur. "Oh, yeah," Matthew mumbled. "Well . . ."

'-'

Vash listened to the explanation, glancing at his sister whose eyes had gone wide with fright. "Don't listen to them Lili. We'll be fine if we don't get involved. If what they're saying is true, I'm sure whoever is going after the orphanage isn't looking for weaklings like us." Mentally, he berated himself for calling them both weak, but it was worth it when he saw Lili's reassured smile. Everything would be all right.

'-'

 _June 16th, 2015, 2:24 AM_

Lili blinked. "Mr. Antonio? Where are we going?"

"I thought I heard something in your room, maybe a rat. I'm moving you somewhere else. You can go back to sleep."

"Okay. Thank you."

'-'

"Date of death, June 16th 2015, 2:30 AM. It was so nice to hear her crying with terror, and her scared little face was so adorable. It's prettier with blood on it, don't you think, Tino? She's like a ripening tomato."

'-'

 _June 16th, 2015, 8:05 AM_

Antonio stood, smiling as he thought of Lili's terrified face. "Lili Zwingli has been adopted. I'm sure that the family that took her in was a good one, and I do hope that Vash will be able to find his home as well." He sat down again. _Who to kill next . . ._

'-'

It took all of Vash's willpower not to march up to that table and punch Antonio in the face. How _dare_ he allow Lili to be adopted without her own big brother? But then, there was the possibility that . . . what Feliciano and the rest were talking about . . .

Abruptly, he stood up and with mechanical movements he made his way over to where Matthew, Yao, and Arthur were talking to each other in low voices. As soon as Vash was within earshot, they fell silent. They seemed to expect him to walk straight past them, and looked rather surprised when he approached.

"What is it, Vash?" Arthur asked testily.

Matthew shoved him, though it didn't have much effect. "Don't be so insensitive! What if Peter was adopted without you?"

Arthur sent a glance across the room to where his nine-year-old brother was talking avidly to Raivis. "I suppose you have a point. What can we do for you, Vash?"

The Swiss boy fixed the group with an intense stare. "I heard you talking yesterday, about the adoptions."

Yao sighed. "Not another one. . . ."

Vash glared. "My _sister_ could be dead if what you're saying is true. I can't just stand by and watch as everything unfolds."

"He's right," Matthew mumbled. "The more people we have working on this, the better."

Yao huffed. "Fine."

'-'

 _June 16th, 2015, 9:50 AM_

After breakfast, Yao and Matthew had gathered everyone else who knew something was up with the adoptions and they were now crammed in a spare room.

"Okay," Yao said, his voice low. "If you know about our suspicions, then you have to help."

There was an outbreak of angry and frightened murmuring.

"Don't worry, you don't have to do much. You just need to watch people, mostly the caretakers, to see if they act suspiciously. If anything is the slightest bit odd, come and tell me. I am keeping notes. Also don't discuss this where anyone can hear."

"But what if someone reads them?" Feliciano squeaked.

"They won't." Yao held up a notebook. "I've written everything in Chinese. Only Kiku will be able to understand." There was a collective sigh of relief.

"Well." Alfred straightened up a bit. "Since I'm the hero, I think I'll do all of the dangerous stuff."

"No!" Yao snapped. "I'm working on everything that is dangerous."

"And why should it be you?" Arthur interjected.

"Because I'm the oldest!"

Vash sighed in exasperation while Ludwig facepalmed, but they couldn't disagree. Yao was probably the stealthiest out of all of them.

'-'

 _June 17th, 2015, 12:03 AM_

Yao lay in bed, considering how he was going to do what he was planning. Everyone else had long since gone to sleep. That probably included the caretakers, which was good for him.

With a sigh, he sat up and pushed himself to his feet. He picked up his notebook and a flashlight, and after listening to make sure no one was near the door, he opened it and started walking down the corridor.

In ten minutes, during which he peered around many corners, he made it to the staff offices, opening the one labeled 'Tino Väinämöinen', which was conveniently unlocked - Tino was a bit too relaxed.

As quiet as before, Yao padded into the small room and over to the filing cabinets, picking the locks with some hairpins. He knew from previous expeditions when he was a little younger that each member of the staff had files on the children who lived there. However, if these children weren't listed as adopted . . .

He picked through the files, finding all of the ones belonging to the most recently adopted. Why did Tino still have these? Shrugging these thoughts off, Yao started copying them down.

Just as he started with Francis, the door creaked open. Yao heard someone yawning and turned to see Tino himself standing in the doorway, rubbing an eye. The Chinese teen attempted to dive under the desk, but he wasn't fast enough.

"Yao? What are you doing up this late?"

Sighing in defeat, he turned to face Tino, the file in his hands clear for the caretaker to see, and the small notebook in his pocket.

"Ah, I see. You were trying to figure out-"

 _If Tino is the culprit, is he going to get me next? What if-_

"-who adopted Francis?"

Yao blinked in mild surprise while Tino smiled. "You could have just asked. Go back to your room, you must be tired."

Yao nodded, then left the room after setting the file on the desk.

Once the door had closed behind him, Tino's smile dropped. _I need to report this to Antonio._

'-'

 _12:30 AM_

"Is that so? I guess I'll have to kill him. I've been wanting to see the terror on his face for a while anyway."

'-'

 _June 17th, 2015, 8:01 AM_

Yao sat down at breakfast with a yawn before helping himself to some rice and toast. It had taken him a while to get to sleep.

A few minutes later, he was joined at the table by Matthew. "So, anything new?" His voice was even quieter than usual.

"I looked into the files of the recently adopted last night," Yao whispered. "Tino caught me, but for some reason he let me off without any punishment. I don't think that's right."

Matthew nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure even Tino would at least give a warning."

Yao pulled out his notebook and started scribbling something down. "We'll have to watch him more carefully."

'-'

 _June 18th, 2015, 1:18 AM_

Yao leafed through the notebook in front of him, checking to make sure that everything lined up.

It did.

That left only a couple people it could be. But then, at a second glance, there was one. Just one.

It could only be-

The door opened gently, creaking on its hinges, and the Chinese boy straightened up, turning to face the intruder.

There he was. Antonio Fernandez Carriedo.

"Well, Yao," the man started. "I've heard from Tino that you aren't being very good. Is that true?" He stepped closer, hands casually placed in his pockets, his pace slow.

Yao got up, backing towards the window. He was only on the second floor, maybe he could make it. He glanced back, only to find that the shades were closed. It would take too long to pull them up. How was he going to get out of this? Antonio was slowly getting closer, and- damn, he'd taken up too much time thinking, that devil was too close!

"You know, little children who aren't good get punished." His hand was coming out of his pocket. A syringe. It was stuck in his arm, the liquid draining into him. He tried to bat the offending hand, but his arm fell back to his side the moment he lifted it. And then, everything went black.

'-'

 _June 18th, 2015, 1:30 AM_

When Yao woke from his unintentional slumber, he found himself gagged and strapped to a cold table, and the orphanage director was walking toward him with a pleasant smile. And holding an axe.

"I told you, children who aren't good get punished, and since you disobeyed me further by not answering my question earlier, you have to go to sleep. Is there anything you would like to tell me before your nap?"

Yao glared defiantly, his eyes glimmering with suppressed tears of fear and anger.

"No? Very well, then. Goodnight, little child."

There was a whoosh, the briefest pain, and everything was over.

"Date of death, June eighteenth 2015, 1:31 AM. Clean up the mess please, Tino."

* * *

 **Sorry I forgot to update yesterday, I was tired and distracted. I'll try not to do it again. :)**

 **So anyway, Yao's death was one of the first scenes written in this story. Yup. I deserve death, don't I? Sorry, but not sorry.**

 **I feel like the characters lack depth and emotion . . . they probably do . . .**

 **And on that happy note, please leave a review and have a good day (or night, depending on your time zone)!**

 **-The Leaf on Italy's Head**


	5. Chapter 4: I Want to Fall

**Chapter Four: I Want to Fall**

 _June 18th, 2015, 8:11 AM_

Antonio stood from the table he was seated at. "I regret to inform you all that Yao Wang has been adopted."

Whispers broke out.

"However, I'm happy that he has found a new family, and I'm sure some of you will be seeing him soon enough."

Though they were too quiet to be heard from the table Antonio was seated at, fearful words were being spoken by those who knew something terrible was happening. Only when Antonio had left the room ten minutes later did they swell to the fullest.

"What happened to Yao?" Feliciano.

"That bloody idiot." Arthur.

"I shouldn't have gotten involved in the first place." Vash.

"This is scary." Alfred.

While these were heard by Kiku, he did not join in.

His brother could be dead. A lost soul. He might never come back. Why were they being so insensitive? It was his brother, not just the leader of the group!

"What will we do?" Matthew. The one who started it all.

"There's nothing to be done," Arthur started. "I don't think anyone here is capable of taking over. Should we let it run its course?"

There were some unsure mumbles.

"Well," Matthew said. "Maybe-" He was interrupted, and this time by someone who none of them expected.

"Hey, giving up on this would be totally unawesome."

They all turned to stare at Gilbert. Despite the way he spoke, his voice and expression were serious. "You can't leave something like this alone. If people continue dying because you didn't do anything, then the blood will practically be on your hands. Do you want that hanging over your heads?"

Feliciano shook his head, looking nervous.

"Then don't give up. The awesome me will take charge." He walked up from his table and joined them.

Kiku couldn't stand it anymore. "Why are you talking about him like he wasn't a friend?"

This time he was the one being stared at, and he felt himself turning red under the pressure. "I mean, he was- _is_ more than just our leader . . ."

Ludwig recovered first. "I'm sorry that we came off as uncaring, Kiku, we're just a bit shocked."

Kiku sighed. "No, I am sorry. I should not have snapped. It was very rude of me."

There were some more mumbles, this time apologetic as they remembered that Kiku was Yao's brother.

"Yeah, sorry dude."

"Yes," Arthur began. "But really, how did you know, Gilbert?"

Gilbert shrugged. "Eavesdropping."

Matthew sighed in exasperation. "We need to be more careful about our conversations. Who knows how many people have heard us talking?" He hugged his polar bear. "No talking about this outside of, um, meetings, I guess." He turned to Gilbert. "Since you are now apparently the leader, what do you say we should do next?"

The albino frowned. "I overheard Elizabeta talking about going to a park tomorrow. So, everyone keep watching. Kiku, translate Yao's notes. Hopefully we'll bump into a police officer."

Feliciano looked relieved as Kiku nodded. "So we don't have to do it ourselves? Fantastic!"

Gilbert sighed. "As much as I'd like to catch the murderer, even the awesome me probably can't handle something like this."

'-'

 _June 19th, 2015, 11:01 AM_

"Okay, time to go!" Elizabeta called. Tomorrow had come. As boring as it seemed, among the children who knew about the truth there was palpable tension. It was unbearable to Matthew, almost like he was trying to swim in a pool of butter.

Meanwhile, Elizabeta and the rest of the children were acting as though nothing was wrong, and to them, it wasn't. Just a day outside of their boring everyday world. Matthew was jealous.

Following them out, he pulled himself into the car, just like the rest, and they were on their way.

They arrived at the park only minutes later. It was a nice green place, with a few tall trees here and there. Small children were laughing as they climbed the playground, their parents watching in amusement. There were some punkish teens hanging around the street corner, smirking about something, and a blond man walking around, whistling casually.

The children disembarked from the van, smiling at the sight before them and running off to join the smaller children or something else.

The enlightened group, however, stuck close together as they walked, never settling in one place for too long before they moved somewhere else. At length, the blond man seemed to notice this and made his way over with a grin on his face.

"What's got you looking so shifty?" he asked teasingly. "The names Mathias Kohler, by the way."

The group glanced at each other upon noticing his badge, whispering amongst themselves before Kiku and Matthew shuffled forward, the Asian boy holding the notebook.

Matthew spoke first. "Are you a policeman?"

The smile on the man's- _Mathias_ 's- face turned to a frown. "Yes, why?"

Matthew and Kiku exchanged a glance, and the dark-haired one shoved the translated notes into Mathias's hands. The man in question looked startled.

"We can't say much," Gilbert started. "But we're from the Hetalia orphanage, and the owner of these notes is . . . probably dead. His name was Yao Wang." He glanced at Kiku who looked rather upset to be reminded of this, and the group turned as if they were a collective conscious and hurried off.

'-'

Mathias frowned at the departing group of children - the range of their ages seemed to be about nine to seventeen.

This could easily be a prank, but . . . they'd seemed so serious. 'The owner of these notes is probably dead'? He had intended to spend his break walking peacefully in a park, but it looked like work had gotten in the way yet again.

Turning, he began walking at a slow pace, opening the notebook and beginning to read.

 _We, that is Matthew and I, believe something is happening to those who are 'adopted'. Whether is be murder or trafficking, we have yet to find out, but something isn't right. We're certain of that much._

 _-no suspicious activity yet, I consider this a good sign-_

 _-I went to look at the files of everyone who was adopted. Tino was acting suspicious-_

Mathias's eyes widened and he stopped, staring at the line he had just read.

Unbeknownst to him, the very person he was thinking of had been watching him the entire time.

'-'

 _June 19th, 2015, 7:09 PM_

"Talking to an officer, eh? I guess I'll just have to give them a little warning."

* * *

 **This chapter seemed boring to me . . . *sigh* Oh well, that's fine. It's a bit shorter than the previous and future chapters, minus the prologue, but that's okay too . . . heh.**

 **If some of you are unfamiliar with the nation's human names, Mathias is Denmark.**

 **Anyway, please leave a review, or whatever. That would be great. :) Thanks for all of the support you've been giving me, and especially to An Arm and a Leg for reviewing every chapter.**

 **-The Leaf on Italy's Head**


	6. Chapter 5: Back

**Chapter Five: Back**

 _June 20th, 2015, 1:31_

"What are you doing? Get that bloody axe away from me! It was you the whole time, wasn't it? You can't stop us!"

Laughter. "I'm glad I didn't get to gag you, it's so fun hearing all of that false hope spewing out of your mouth! You're about to die, it's not like you'll be able to tell them anything. By killing you, I'm giving them a warning by putting you to sleep. I won't have as much of a reason to kill them if they stop. You should be glad, maybe they really will be adopted. Now, go to sleep, little pirate."

 _Snap_

"Date of death, June twentieth 2015, 1:33 AM."

'-'

 _June 20th 2015, 7:23 AM_

Mathias stood abruptly, notebook in hand, and made his way down the halls of the Police Station. The chief needed to see this. He couldn't stand keeping this knowledge to himself anymore, this _had_ to be looked into.

When he knocked he was allowed in by the same voice as usual, and like always, the scrawny chief of police was sitting behind his desk, sucking a lollipop. "What can I do for you today, Kohler? It had better not be another prank."

Mathias flung the notes on the table. "This! I need a warrant to investigate the Hetalia Orphanage, that's what!"

The chief frowned. "Investigate the Hetalia Orphanage? I don't think there's any need for that."

"Read these!" Mathias shoved the notes closer. "All the evidence you need!"

The chief picked up the notebook, flipping through the pages and skimming here and there. "I think this is a joke, Kohler." He threw the notebook in the trash can under his desk. "Get back to work."

Fuming but knowing it was no use trying to convince the stubborn man, he stormed out of the office and down the hall until he reached his own cubicle. He was about to enter when he had an idea. A wonderful idea. A probably-reckless idea.

And so he started going from cubicle to cubicle, trying to convince others to help him. He was turned down in all but two, the last ones. He first went into Roderich's little office space. "Hey, can I talk to you?" He continued without waiting for a reply. "I got this notebook from these kids during my break yesterday. Something might be going on at the Hetalia Orphanage, the kids think the adopted children might be being killed, or something."

Roderich swiveled in his chair to face him, frowning. "I have two nephews who live there," he started. "And my fiance works at that home. Are you sure it's not a hoax?"

Mathias nodded.

"Let me see that notebook, then," he demanded.

"Uh, funny story. I showed it to the chief and he threw it away."

"How am I supposed to know what they think is going on if that notebook has been confiscated?"

"Well, please help me investigate?" he pleaded, "I have a relative who works there, and the notes said he was acting suspicious. I need to know what's going on."

The Austrian sighed. "Fine, but only as an excuse to visit my bride and family."

"Thanks man! You're the best." With those parting words, he hurried out and into the last cubicle he hadn't checked. This one belonged to the new guy, Eduard von Bock, and Mathias really hoped he would agree to help, because he was great with technology, and could possibly forge a warrant for investigation. "Hey, Eduard! Could you help me with something? It's kind of important, I think."

The Estonian turned to face him with raised eyebrows. "You think?"

Mathias shifted from foot to foot, feeling excited after having gathered one person to help him. "Well, there might be something going on at the Hetalia Orphanage, and I want to investigate it. I've already convinced Roderich, but I still need a warrant because the chief refuses to investigate, so maybe you could forge one?"

"Um, well . . ."

Was it just Mathias, or was Eduard shaking?

"R-Raivis lives there, s-so I suppose . . . W-what sort of thing do you think is happening?"

Mathias gave him a short explanation, and the other man seemed torn between refusing an helping. _Why is he so scared? I mean, he's known for being a fraidy-cat, but really? He knows someone from there!_

After a moment of indecision, Euard nodded. "I'll help, but make sure I don't get anywhere near Ivan Braginski."

Understanding dawned on the Dane. "Oh, you know him to you?" He smirked. "I'm not surprised you're afraid, he _is_ pretty intimidating!" He started out of the cubicle. "Get started on the warrant, and I will take a nap!" He left before giving Eduard a chance to respond.

'-'

 _June 20th, 2015, 12:24 PM_

Mathias stopped to examine the building in front of him.

Three stories, made of brick, it looked pretty old, but nice all the same. "All right, time for questioning!" He cracked his knuckles and Roderich rolled his eyes while Eduard stood there, trembling.

When Mathias knocked, the door was answered by someone who was very familiar. "Oh, Mathias!" Tino smiled. "What are you doing here?"

Mathias held up the forged warrant. "We heard something was going on here, and were authorized to investigate."

Tino frowned. "Something going on?"

The Dane nodded. "Can we come in?"

Tino sighed and stepped aside, which Mathias took as a yes. The trio entered the building and Tino showed them to Mr. Carriedo's office. He stood next to the owner of the Orphanage while they discussed the warrant.

After this they were led to the cafeteria, where the children were still eating lunch. Mathias immediately picked out the albino from before, along with the two kids who had stepped forward. They and the rest of them were all gathered together, just as they had been the day before last. It took him a split second to decide they should question them first.

After a few whispered instructions, they all made their way over to the group and separated them into thirds to begin questioning.

From these little interviews, Mathias gathered that the albino, Gilbert, and a serious blond, Ludwig, were Roderich's nephews. He also figured out that there was no one coming to see the people who were apparently adopted and that said children were disappearing overnight. In fact, one of them had been 'adopted' the night before.

This needed to be dealt with, and fast.

Making his way back over to Antonio, his fellow officers in tow, he stated in a very loud voice, "I don't believe it, we'll be going now. Try to make sure these kids don't pull any more tricks like that," and left the building. The drive back to the station was spent planning. "I say we should go back tonight and deal with the situation," Mathias declared near the end of the discussion.

"I agree," Roderich said primly. "I wouldn't want my nephews to be killed, or whatever is happening to those children."

Mathias peered at Eduard in the mirror and Roderich turned to look at him.

"Um . . ." The Estonian shifted. "I-I'll come too. I can break past security."

Their conversation was cut short when they arrived back at the station.

Now, all they could do was wait.

* * *

 **So, I keep forgetting to mention this, but . . . I have no idea how children's homes or police organizations work. So don't blame me if they are totally unrealistic.**

 **This was uploaded much later in the day than I intended. I apologize, I was distracted and got pulled away to help clean the kitchen. Then I had to take care of the rabbits and my fingers went numb in the process of defrosting their water bowls, so it took a lot longer than it should have.**

 **Also, in case you didn't pay attention to the very first author's note, the next chapter is the last, and then there's the epilogue.**

 **Anyway, please review and have a nice night or day!**

 **-The Leaf on Italy's Head**


	7. Chapter 6: To Sleep Again

**Chapter Six: To Sleep Again**

 _June 21st, 2015, 10:03 AM_

"Mathias."

The officer looked up, meeting the gaze of Eduard von Bock.

"The chief wants to see you, right away. Something about an assignment."

Mathias managed to catch the underlying message; _We can't do it tonight._ He nodded in affirmation. "I'll be right there." He stood only once Eduard was out of sight, hoping that the younger man would relay the message to Roderich as well.

He made his way over to the chief's office with slight hesitation in his steps. Hopefully this would be something important, he didn't want to waste his time on a small case of thievery when children could be dying.

He knocked and was welcomed in by the same voice as before. The same voice of the same infuriating man who was sucking a lollipop.

Once he had seated himself on the opposite side of the desk from that man, a folder was shoved across the table toward him. "You are being assigned to investigate the dead bodies of children that have been floating to the surface all over the river. They're causing quite a bit of ruckus from the people who have seen them, and I know that you're a good cop, even if you're gullible enough to fall for pranks from bored children." He sent his trash bin a dirty look. "The bodies were first reported by Emma Manon and they've been popping up ever since. If need be we will call in the private investigators. You are dismissed."

He said the whole thing around his lollipop.

'-'

 _June 21st, 2015, 12:43 PM_

Mathias stared at the sight in front of him with disgust.

Dead bodies of children, all lined up on the riverside. Some were being slid into body bags while others simply lay there, staring at the sky with wide, glassy eyes. Their faces seemed to be screaming in fear.

He turned back to the woman next to them. "You just found them? Floating along?"

She nodded tearfully.

"Well, thank you for your time. You may go now."

She nodded again and rushed off.

Glancing at the bodies, he noticed one that looked familiar. Blond hair, bushy eyebrows, he _knew_ that this boy was familiar. So where had he seen him before . . . ? Frowning, he turned to one of the officers who was taking notes on all of the children's appearances. "Have you figured out any of their identities yet?"

He shook his head. "No. You have to be patient."

Mathias sighed and nodded. "Very well. Continue." He started down the line, examining each face. An Asian boy, in his mid teens, another one about the same age with shoulder-length blond hair- no way, that girl couldn't be more than nine! Poor thing . . .

'-'

 _June 22nd, 2015, 1:42 AM_

"Strapping people to tables is so unawesome! Is that a gag? That's not awesome eith- mph!"

"Don't talk so loudly, Gilbert! We wouldn't want to be discovered, would we?" He picked up his axe. "Have a nice, nap, when you wake up maybe you can visit Yao, and Arthur! I'm sure Lovi would love to see you!"

Gilbert's eyes widened, but he was unable to speak. And that ability would never return.

'-'

 _June 22nd, 2015, 11:19 PM_

Mathias stared at the report in front of him.

The results had come back.

The identities of the children.

All of them were supposedly living at the Hetalia Orphanage.

And the name of one . . .

Yao Wang.

'-'

 _June 22nd, 2015, 11:28 PM_

After telling the others about this discovery, they sat in silence for a full minute before Roderich spoke up.

"Well, I guess something really is going on." He straightened the cravat that he always seemed to be wearing. "How long does it take to get to the Orphanage?"

Eduard looked up. "About fifteen minutes."

Mathias stood, his expression grim. "We'd better get going."

'-'

 _11:30 PM_

As Antonio traversed the halls, he sang a little song. A lullaby.

'-'

 _11:31 PM_

Eduard bit his nails, considering the security cameras.

'-'

 _11:32 PM_

"Rock-a-bye baby on the tree top . . ."

'-'

 _11:33 PM_

Mathias drove desperately, just barely over the speed limit.

'-'

 _11:33 PM_

His next victim was falling into a deeper sleep as the sedative spread through his body.

"When the wind blows, the cradle will rock . . ."

'-'

 _11:45 PM_

Mathias turned off the ignition and was only stopped from rushing into the building by Eduard's hand on his shoulder.

 _Right,_ he remembered. _Security cameras._

They managed to make it past those with little difficulty. It was then that they realized they had no idea what to do next.

'-'

 _11:51 PM_

When he woke, the boy found himself in a dimly lit room, and strapped to a table. That was scary. But what was even more terrifying was the owner of the Orphanage staring at him with a maniacal glint in his eyes.

"Well, I guess gagging you would be a bit of a pain considering that you could bite my hand, you _are_ a bit of a feisty one, from what I've seen. I like hearing them scream anyway. Don't you agree, Tino?"

The boy couldn't help it. Even though it was exactly what that man wanted, he started to scream. His screams grew louder when he saw the axe resting against the wall.

'-'

As Mathias passed a door, he heard a muffled noise coming from it that sounded suspiciously like screaming. "Hey guys!" he called, attempting to keep his voice low enough that it wouldn't be heard by the occupants of the room beyond. "Over here!"

Eduard and Roderich rushed over and Mathias tried turning the knob. Surprisingly, it was unlocked. Whoever the culprit was, they were starting to get careless.

When he opened the door, the screams grew louder, which in turn caused the trio to rush down the stairs. They hesitated half-way to the bottom when they heard a sickening crunch, before racing forward. Mathias flung the door open to a nauseating sight.

A very familiar child, lying on a steel table. With his head nearly severed from his body and Antonio leaning over him with a mad look of enjoyment on his face. It remained even when he looked directly at them. Unexpectedly, he didn't say a word. He just smiled wider at the sound of a gun being cocked.

When Mathias turned left, the sight that bet his eyes left him feeling betrayed, angry, and above all shocked.

There was Tino. Pointing a gun at his own cousin's chest. "Tino . . ."

"Don't think I won't shoot, Mathias," the man hissed, his voice unwavering. "If you say one word or make one move, I _will_ pull the trigger.

Mathias's expression contorted into one of fury. "Tino, you-"

There was a bang. Eduard and Roderich were too shocked to move. So was Mathias.

Fortunately, he didn't need to move, because something deflected the bullet. Was that . . . a faucet?

Ivan Braginski smiled. "You would have died. You owe me now, da?" Without waiting for a reply, he swooped upon Tino, looking like he had intended to knock him out in one smooth motion, but instead he was blocked. While the battle raged on, Mathias turned back to Antonio and drew his gun, firing a couple shots before dodging the axe as it was swung at him. After a moment more, Roderich and Eduard (who was trembling violently) both pulled out their firearms and began shooting rapidly.

Antonio's eyes widened and he attempted to shield with his axe, but was unsuccessful and almost dropped the weapon after a shot to the arm. Mathias lodged a bullet in his leg for good measure, then pulled the axe from Antonio's weak hands.

It was pretty heavy, but he hadn't expected anything less from something like this.

Grunting, he hefted it onto his shoulder to keep it out of the way. The door burst open/

 _11:56_

'-'

 _June 22nd, 2015, 11:53 PM_

Matthew woke with a start. He could hear a commotion coming from down stairs, maybe _below_ down stairs. Did the Orphanage have a basement? Shrugging the thought off, he climbed out of bed and hurried over to his brother's. It looked like he had already gotten up to take a look. He could at _least_ have woken his brother up.

No matter, it might be good to get everyone out of bed and check it out. He felt a pang of grief stab his heart as he thought the word 'everyone'. Part of their precious 'everyone' was gone now. Yao, Arthur, and now Gilbert. Hopefully they weren't dead.

He shook his head to rid himself of those unpleasant thoughts. There was no time for that, if the murderer- no not a murderer, he hoped- was up to something, they had to try and stop him. Or her.

Then again, maybe it wasn't a good idea to drag everyone else along. Alfred would be there, so it would be fine.

Still clad in his polar bear pajamas, he crept down the halls, or rather ran as fast as he could, to the source of the noise.

Nearly falling as he stumbled down the stairs, he rushed down the halls and flung open the door muffling the sounds violence. He hesitated when the sound of gunshots grew clearer before hurrying down. If his brother was already there, he could be in danger.

But the sight that met him at the end of the staircase was not one that he expected.

Mathias Kohler was wrenching an axe from Antonio's bloodied hands.

Tino was knocked out in a corner.

And in the middle of the room, Alfred lay on a table with his neck almost in two pieces.

The last thing Matthew registered before passing out was the gentle hands catching him as he collapsed.

Alfred Jones was dead.

* * *

 **Next chapter is the epilogue! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I know I didn't give Alfred a major role, so he wasn't that loved and his death didn't seem too dramatic, but it was still a lot of fun to write.**

 **Emma Manon is Belgium. Originally Netherlands was going to be the policeman that started the investigation, but then I found something out that didn't go along with my plan and I changed it to Mathias.**

 **And, forgot this last authors note, I always forget to add something, I hope all of you who celebrate it had a great Thanksgiving! Please leave a review!**

 **-The Leaf on Italy's Head**


	8. Epilogue

**Epilogue:**

 _Five years later . . ._

Matthew William Jones hefted his backpack onto his shoulder with a sigh. _Finally, school's out for the day._ Of course, he still had his job to get to before he was free to go home and eat pancakes.

He was in his senior year of highschool and had managed to get himself a part-time job at a daycare. Every time he looked at those children, though, he was reminded about how terrible a part of his own childhood was. He was glad those awful people had been thrown in prison.

'-'

 _They were burning Alfred's body. That was all Matthew could think about. It just solidified the fact that he was gone, and never to be seen again._

'-'

" _Antonio was sentenced to life in prison," Mathias assured him. "Unfortunately,_ Tino _," he said his cousin's name like it was a horribly disgusting swear word, "-was only given five years. The court didn't seem to find him too guilty."_

'-'

" _You- you!" Emil seemed unable to speak properly. "How dare you! I- I-" He was at a loss for words. Berwald was actually angry for once, which was terrifying, especially for Tino._

 _Lukas's expression was cold. "You no longer deserve to be called family, let alone a human being. You are a deplorable, ugly creature. I hope you die in prison. The world would no longer have to bear the curse of carrying you on its back."_

" _And I shared drinks with him," Mathias muttered. "He's practically a murderer for not stopping Carriedo."_

 _Matthew watched from the sidelines. It didn't matter how Tino had acted before. He was exactly what everyone else said he was._

'-'

 _Matthew didn't want to go to the other funerals. It was too painful, but he felt honor-bound to do it._

'-'

 _Roderich and Elizabeta smiled. Married at last. A ray of light in this dark world._

'-'

Matthew sighed at the memories. There were painful ones and happy ones, though most of the were depressing.

He, Kiku, and Peter Kirkland had been adopted by Tino's family. They were easily assured that they were not like that man, but Matthew still spent most of his time locked away in his bedroom for the first few months.

Ludwig, meanwhile, had been taken in by Roderich and Elizabeta. It turned out that the former of the couple was the German boy's uncle on his mother's side. Funny how things worked out. Feliciano had been adopted by someone called Emma Manon, who had apparently reported the . . . _bodies_ that had come floating down the river. It must have been really unpleasant seeing them.

He sighed and wiped the thoughts from his mind. He had almost made it to the daycare, he needed to act _happy._ A moment later, however, he was unable to find it in himself to be cheerful.

The daycare was just around the corner, and standing on the curb was Tino Väinämöinen, just waiting to cross the street.

 _That's right. He was sentenced to five years. It's been that long since his trial._

The man looked up. His eyes had lost their old spark. That fake spark. He looked tired and sad. Matthew had hoped he'd be able to walk past without being noticed, but it seemed the former caretaker recognized him.

"Matthew?"

He froze, turning to glare at the criminal. "What do you want?" he spat.

"I just wanted to . . . apologize."

Matthew gaped, but his but his expression turned to an angry scowl. "Apologize? You? You _can't apologize_ after what you've done."

Tino looked desperate. "Please, just listen to me! It took me a few years, but I realized how horrible I've been! I'm sorry!"

Matthew stared at him.

"I'm a different person now! What I did before is something I would never do again!"

Matthew sighed. "Fine, apology accepted."

Tino looked surprised at the easy victory, but relieved.

" _But."_

His face fell.

"I still don't forgive you."

'-'

The bell rang.

"Get the door, Matthew."

He sighed and put down his textbook at the sound of Lukas's voice. He hurried downstairs and opened the door, as he was told. When he saw who was beyond it, he immediately schooled his face into one that lacked emotion. "Oh. You." He glanced over his shoulder. "Come in, I guess."

Lukas walked into the hallway. "Who is it, Matthew? A-" He stopped, staring at Tino, who had one foot in the house while the other was still outside. "I see," he said blankly. "I suppose we need to talk." He turned and walked to the living room.

Tino glanced between his Norwegian cousin and Matthew unsurely. The latter nodded and closed the door after Tino had entered, then headed back upstairs to fetch everyone else. He didn't tell them why they should gather. They might not come if he did.

He found Peter playing a video game with Berwald, Kiku reading manga, and Emil feeding his pet puffin. Mathias was yelling at his TV.

With all of them following him, he led them into the living room.

For a moment, there was complete silence. And then there was chaos. Peter was yelling something about his brother and Kiku and Berwald were watching with seemingly smoldering eyes. Mathias was shouting at the top of his voice and Emil looked about ready to attack the person who had almost killed his relative five years ago.

Matthew watched in silence. Just as he had all those years ago as they screamed at Tino.

Finally, Lukas broke them up. "Be quiet!"

Everyone stopped, and Matthew stepped forward.

"I already talked to him."

Everyone's heads swiveled to face him.

"I met him on the way to the daycare. He's changed. Sit down and listen to him."

Tino looked relieved again. Matthew wished he would stop.

'-'

Silence reigned once again after Tino had explained himself.

Berwald mumbled something. "What was that? Speak up." Mathias's normally cheerful tone was gone.

"I said I f'rgve 'im."

The other occupants of the room stared in shock. They then turned to Matthew and Peter asked the pressing question. "Did _you_ forgive him, Matt?"

Matthew shook his head. "No, but I accepted his apology . . . and I think you guys should too."

They glanced at each other. Kiku was the first to speak.

"I accept your apology. I hope I can find it somewhere in my heart to forgive you." He stood and bowed.

There was some mumbling before everyone, besides Peter, accepted Tino.

"Also." Tino glanced around nervously. "I don't have anywhere the stay."

 **END**

* * *

 **Well. That's the end of the story. I hope you all enjoyed reading it.**

 **In this chapter, Matthew is almost eighteen. Peter is fourteen, and Kiku turned sixteen recently. If you want to know Antonio's backstory and the ages of everyone else before and after the timeskip, review asking for them.**

 **Review even if you don't want to know! It would make me feel . . . special knowing I got a torrent of reviews on the last chapter. :)**

 **Ideas for more fanfictions:**

 **Due to a misunderstanding, England is now on the run from the Order of the Phoenix. Harry Potter/Hetalia Crossover.**

 **When Iceland approached the crying woman sitting on the bumper of a van, he didn't expect to be kidnapped. Hetalia fanfiction.**

 **Canada has always been able to control his invisibility and his power to erase memories. He also has the ability to make people disappear, and he snapped quite a while ago. Snapped Canada Hetalia fanfiction.**

 **Anyone interested in these? (Please don't steal any of them, that would leave me feeling very annoyed, and I could report you. . . .)**

 **-The Leaf on Italy's Head**


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